da roleta： The ball-winning machine only moved to Deutsche Bank Park last year, but there is mounting talk of a summer switch to Anfield

da betano casino： We've known since last summer that Liverpool are on the look-out for a left-side centre-back. Consequently, a whole host of players have been linked with a move to Anfield over the past year. Goncalo Inacio, Piero Hincapie, Jarrad Branthwaite, Marc Guehi, Levi Colwill and Lloyd Kelly have all been touted as possible solutions to one of the Reds' problem positions. But one name has gained some serious traction in recent weeks, that of Willian Pacho.

The Ecuadorian only joined Eintracht Frankfurt last summer, but the word is that Pacho is held in very high esteem at Liverpool, resulting in increasing talk of an imminent move for the 22-year-old.

But who is Pacho and why has he reportedly jumped to the top of the list of left-sided centre-back transfer targets? GOAL breaks it all down below…

Where it all began

Pacho was born and raised in Quininde, a town in the northern Esmeraldas province of Ecuador, but it was in the capital city of Quito that he began to make a name for himself.

Pacho made his professional debut with Independiente del Valle, where, coincidentally, Hincapie also starred as a youngster. He was part of an exciting young side that claimed the club's first-ever Ecuadorian Serie A title in 2021, with Pacho playing every minute of the regular season campaign, only to miss the championship-deciding play-off with Emelec through injury.

Despite that disappointment, the classy teenage defender with just 40 senior-level appearances had already done enough to attract the attention of European scouts.

AdvertisementGetty The big break

During the 2022 January transfer window, Pacho was snapped up by Royal Antwerp, who had such faith in the youngster that they handed the €5.5m (£4.7m/$6m) signing a five-year contract. Pacho initially saw little game time at the Bosuilstadion, but everything changed when Brian Priske was replaced as coach by former Bayern Munich, Barcelona, AC Milan and Netherlands midfielder Mark van Bommel.

The rapidly-improving Pacho became a regular under the Dutchman and formed a fantastic central-defensive partnership with club captain Toby Alderweireld that provided the foundation for last season's dramatic Belgian title triumph. By that stage, Pacho had already earned his first cap for Ecuador – and, even more significantly, agreed to join Eintracht Frankfurt during the summer of 2023.

"It has been a great year with Royal Antwerp," he said at the time. "I thank the club and my team-mates for the trust given, the love, respect, and learning. Especially to Mark Van Bommel and Toby Alderweireld for every advice given, which helped me a lot to improve.

"I said goodbye very happy to have been part of this great club, to have achieved many victories together, and to end this season becoming champions."

Getty How it's going

Tellingly, Van Bommel was bitterly disappointed by Pacho's departure. "He has evolved enormously with Toby Alderweireld at his side," the Antwerp boss told . "I think we've sold him too soon."

Certainly, Antwerp's loss has proven to be Eintracht's considerable gain. At €9m (£7.7m/$9.7m), he represented their record purchase for a defender – but board member for sport Markus Krosche was supremely confident that the South American would prove money well spent.

"It's an important transfer for us for the coming season," he said after the deal was confirmed. "Willian is still young, but he already has experience on the international stage. We're pleased that he's decided to join Eintracht and we'd like to further develop his huge potential."

They've certainly done that. Indeed, Eintracht reportedly now value Pacho at roughly six times his original fee – and it's easy to understand why. He played every minute of all but one game as Eintracht qualified for the Europa League via a sixth-placed finish in the Bundesliga, impressing all and sundry with his pace, progressive passing and aerial ability.

Getty Biggest strengths

As Krosche has previously stated, "What really makes Willian stand out are his speed and strength in the tackle." The jet-heeled 22-year-old is very quick off the mark, wins the majority of the challenges to which he commits and is dominant in the air.

When it comes to regaining possession for his team, he's an absolute machine. He's won the ball a staggering 293 times this season, which puts him second among defenders across Europe's 'Big Five' leagues – even above Arsenal's William Saliba (278).

"His box-defending is absolutely world-class," Eintracht coach Toppmoller said earlier in the season. "He doesn't allow anything to get past him."